Apparatus for distributing moisture in bread



1952 H. c. RHODES 2,605,722

APPARATUS FOR DI STRIBUTING MOISTURE IN BREAD Original Filed April 7, 1945 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1952 2,605,722 APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING MOISTURE IN BREAD Herbert G. Rhodes, Portland, reg., assignor to Read Standard Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Original application April 7, 1945, Serial No.

587,100, now Patent No. 2,479,864, dated August 23, 1949. Divided and this application February 28, 1949, Serial No. 78,706

Claims. (Cl; 107 --9) bread in which the moisture content willbe uniformly distributed throughout the entire mass.

The second object is to provide an apparatus for preparing bread dough so that the completed loaf will not have the well-known and objectionable dry end.

The third object is to provide an apparatus for processing the dough so that it is immaterial whether it is rolled lateraly or longitudinally in its final step before being placed in the pan.

I accomplish these and other objects in a manner set forth in the following specifications as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of the apparatus showing the various steps through which the dough passes.

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1, showing the first step in which the moisture is concentrated in one portion of the dough strip.

Fig. 3 is a section showing the strip of dough formed by the apparatus in Fig. 2 in a reverse position and passing through a second set of 1 rollers for the final distribution of the moisture.

Like numbers of reference refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a conveyor from which chunks of dough II are received from a loaf preparing machine, whose unrelated details are not shown. Below the discharge end of the conveyor I0 are shown a pair of rollers 12, between which the dough ll passes to form an elongated strip l3, which rides down along the inclined plate l4 to the cylinder [5, where it is inverted upon the conveyor I6.

It Will be noted in Fig. 2 that the end ll, which is the last to pass through the rollers l2, contains the most moisture. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the strip [3 approaches the second set of rollers l8 with the moist end I! foremost. The strip 20, which emerges from the rollers [8, passes over the plate 2| and through a third set of rollers 22 to complete the moisture distributing action. The strip 23 which emerges from the rollers 22 will be found to have a uniform moisture content throughout its length and breadth. This may be'rolled either longitudinally or transversely. l l 1 In the present case, I prefer-to pass the strip 23 over the drum 24 which deposits it on the conveyor 25, moving transversely with relation to the plane of the previously described movement of the strip. i

Attention is drawn to my (to-pending application, Serial Number" 577,223, filed February 10, 1945, now Patent Number 2,534,734 of December 19, 1950, over which th'e' apparatus'herein described is an improvement. 3

From the foregoing it can be seen that the strip 20 or 23' can be deposited "directly upon the conve'ycr 25 either in the direction illlustrated or in the line of travel during the'first' steps in the process without departing from the'spirit of this invention, or detracting from thejquality of the finished product. That is to say, once the moisture content of the strip has been rendered uniform throughout its lengthand breadth, it is immaterial whether it is curled lengthwise or transversely;

It is desirable to provide a wirechain "cloth 26; which is'supported by the rod 21 onthe standards 28 at one end and permitted to 'ride upon the conveyor25 at theother end, the purpose of which is to roll the strip of dough 23 and make same ready for the pan.

While I have thus-illustrated and described my invention, it is not my' desire to be limited to the precise form shown herein, and I intend to cover such forms and modifications of the invention as fall fairly within the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dough moulder comprising a plurality of sets of sheeting rollers defining a continuous path, one set of said rollers engageable with and compressing a mass of dough to form an elongated sheet, an inverting means positioned beneath the first mentioned set of rollers and arranged to receive said elongated sheet, a transfer means coacting with said inverting means to receive said elongated sheet therefrom in an inverted position, a second set of rollers positioned beneath said transfer means for further compressing said elongated sheet, said first and second sets of rollers being disposed in aligned relation with one another in an inclined plane in said continuous path and said second set of rollers arranged to receive from said transfer means the elongated sheet with the end of said sheet that last engaged said inverting means being the end first engaged by said second set of rollers.

2. A dough moulder comprising a plurality of set of rollers positioned beneath isa'id rotating" member for further compressing said elongated sheet, said first and second sets of rollers being i disposed in aligned relationwith one anothe v in an inclined plane in said continuous path and said second set of rollers arranged to receive from said rotating member the elongated sheet with the end of said sheet that last engaged said rotary drum being the end first engaged 'by saidjse'cond set of rollers.

3. A dough moulder comprising a plurality of cooperating rollers for sheeting successive dough pieces, said rollers presenting a downwardly sloping passageway for sheeted dough pieces,.a rotatable drum andja-cooperating endless traveling surface interposed between-an adjacent pair of cooperating rollers to provide a first set of rollers and a. second set of rollers, said rotatablev drum being disposed with a portion of its peripheral surface extending across said passageway for receiving the sheets otdough emergingfr-om said first set of rollers andsaid rotatable drum upon continued rotation flipping-said sheets of dough from its peripheral surface-trailing edge foremost, and said endless traveling surface being disposed to receive the; doughssheetsfro n said drum trailing edge foremost; said second set f rollers being disposed to receive said dough sheets from said endlesstravel-ing surface for .re-rolling said dough sheets ina direction oppesedto the direction of rolling by said first setof rollers, said first set of rollers, said rotatable drum, said endless traveling surface and said second set of rollersbeing-disposed insaligned relation :in an inclined planewith their axes of rotation disposed in parallel relation.

4.- Ina machine for moulding dough pieces and the like embodying a conveyor adapted toreceive in a single path a plurality of :spaceddough masses,-cooperating rollers positioned beneath the conveyor at the discharge end thereof, said rollers adapted to engage the dough masses to form elongated sheets, a rotatable: drum disposed subja- 7 cent said rollers to receivethe elongated sheets of dough en the downwardly moving peripheral portionofits surface,-a rotatable receiving 'member rotating-in the same direction as said drum and disposed with its upper surface offset from I first and second sets "of rollers, said second conand below the upper surface of said drum, said drum upon continued rotation flipping said sheets of dough from its peripheral surface trailing edge foremost while delivering the sheets to the upper surface of said receiving member, a second set of cooperating rollers disposed to receive the sheets 0f dough from said receiving member for rerollin said dough sheets in a direction opposed to the directionof rolling by said first set of cooperating rollers, said first set of rollers, said rotatable drum, said rotatable receiving member and said second set of rollers being disposed one forward of the other in that order and being alined in an inclined plane whereby the elongated sheets travel throughout-in the direction of their elongation.

5. elriamachine for moulding dough pieces and the likeemb'odying a conveyor adapted to receive in a single path a plurality of spaced dough masses, cooperating rollers positioned beneath the conveyor at the discharge 'end'thereof, said rollers adapted'to engage the doughmasses to form elongated-sheets, a rotatable drum disposed below and spaced from said rollers, a second conveyor disposed forwardof'and below said drum, said drum adaptedto receive the dough sheets for over-turning or inverting said sheetswhile delivering the sheetslto saidsecond conveyor, a-second set of: rollers disposed below'and at the discharge end of the last mentioned conveyor, said second set of rollers, engaging the dough'sheet as the sheet is discharged from the last mentioned conveyor, a rotatable drum disposed :below said second set of rollers, a conveyor arranged beneath the last mentioned drum, said last mentioned drum engaging the doughsheet' for invertingthe sheet upon" said last mentionedconveyor, said veyor andsaid first and second-rotatable drums being 'alined in an inclined plane andhaving their axes of rotation disposed in parallelism.-

,HERBERT C. RH-SEES;

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Q -Date Number Name 787,273 Burns "Apr; 11, 1905 806,869 Burns Dec. 12, 1905 1,831,531 Harber ,llov. 10,1931 2,101,621 Maas Dec. 7, 1937 2,275,714 Anetsberger et .al; Mar. 10, 1942 2,373,012 Burdett .et al; Apr. 1 9 15 

